Khartoum shopkeepers fined for ‘trading during Friday prayers’

A Public Order Court in El Azhari to the south of the Sudan capital of Khartoum on Sunday handed down fines to several shopkeepers for trading during Friday prayers.

One of the shopkeepers told Radio Dabanga that one hour before Friday prayers at 11:30 am, the public order police raided their shops in the districts of El Salama, El Gareif, El Azhari, and El Ingaz and arrested the owners, accusing them of selling during the Friday sermon.

“Among those arrested was a muezzin who works in a workshop who was preparing to leave to perform Friday prayers at a nearby mosque”.

He pointed out that the Court rejected the testimonies of residents from Soba El Aradi market on the grounds that they are not neutral, and fined 23 traders SDG 3,000 ($450) each for opening their shops during Friday prayers. In case of non-payment they will be subject to imprisonment for a month.

He explained that 10 traders paid the fine while 13 are being held until payment.

Facebook

El Nahud court in West Kordofan has imprisoned Waleed Ahmed Hamid on charges of defamation of character for allegedly publishing false information on his Facebook page.

Defence lawyer Ali Yahya told Radio Dabanga that the defendant had been held in solitary confinement and his relatives had been prevented from visiting him in the prison.

He added that “They had filed a bail request twice for the prosecutor who refused.”

The Defence lawyer considered this as against the Constitution and all humanitarian covenants.